Pattern-added woodworking: sensuji (“thousand stripes”)

Yamanaka lacquerware, from its earliest origins, has been distinguished by the technique of turning wood on a lathe. Pattern-added woodturning (kashokubiki), the most distinctive characteristic of Yamanaka lacquerware, involves carving fine concentric lines in the wood. There are dozens of patterns, from sensuji (“thousand stripes”) to itomesuji (“threadlike stripes”), inahosuji (“rice-ear-like stripes”), rokuromesuji (“lathe stripes”), hirasuji (“flat stripes”) and more. The planes and knives used in creating such pieces are all handmade by the artisan and each one is used for a specific task.